Phantasmat: Déjà Vu > iPad, iPhone, Android, Mac & PC Game

Overall rating

4 / 5

64 of 78 found this review helpful

ONE OF THE FEW GAMES THAT HELD MY INTEREST TO THE END

PostedAugust 5, 2018

pennmom36

fromCongrats to Natasa Dzambic, a PHantastic PHantasmat Producer with a growing PHamily!

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Skill Level:Expert

Current Favorite:

Lost Lands: Mistakes of the Past Collector's Edition

(67)

Fun Factor

4 / 5

Visual/Sound Quality

5 / 5

Level of Challenge

4 / 5

Storyline

4 / 5

Although I liked the Collector's Edition version better, I still stand behind Deja Vu because it's a really interesting game that held my interest to the end. I finished the game in one sitting, not because it was a short game, but because I was completely focused and I didn't become bored. It's not the best Phantasmat game in the series, but it's certainly better than most of the games offered lately. In the Bonus Chapter, you return to the beginning nightmare that haunts Faith, where she is helped by a character revealed at the end of the main game, to face her fears and end the nightmare that haunts her, hopefully for good. You will pick up the remaining 7 Brains in a jar as well as 5 Morphing Characters. After completing the main game, you can access the Character bios from the Morphing Characters you have found. In the Souvenir Room after completing the entire game, you search 15 scenes to find a butterfly or moth in each one.

It's no secret that the original Phantasmat is my all-time favorite HOPA games, no other storyline has even come close, but then again, it was created by Codeminion. I wish this dev would offer a Phantasmat game or two that had some old-school features and some of the features offered in the original. I'd love to see more of the "Phantasmat Visions" I'd love to see games that didn't wrap-up all the tasks within two locations (like having to remember where all the rooms or scenes were, how to get there w/o a jump-map, and where an item you just found belonged too?, remember those days?) I'd love the original plot's themes of "am I dead?" to return, w/o truly knowing till the end of the game. But most of all, I'd love for the devs to offer Morphing Objects in EVERY SCENE, and to make them far more challenging than they are in not only this game but all of their games, because the collectibles and morphs offered nowadays have no challenge whatsoever...make me work for it (or make the game designers work for it!) Here's a recap of my review to help you decide which version, if either, is right for you:

Recurring nightmares of that fateful accident have driven your sister nearly insane. Doctors have exhausted every orthodox treatment available with no signs of improvement. Faith had lost faith in conventional treatment options, which is why Matt has chosen Dr. Zachary Ryan's questionable method of treatment for Faith, mind control. Has something gone horribly wrong with the session? Are you still in control of the situation? Are you alive? Are you dead? Or have you just entered the world of Phantasmat, somewhere in between?

Overall, this is the kind of game I love, creepy graphics, a plot that makes me wonder if I'm dead or alive, and a game that doesn't require me to find a million keys, emblems, and constant back and forth tasks. The first chapter is rather dull and somewhat weird, but it picks up towards the end of the first chapter and becomes very intriguing by the second chapter, so stick with it, the demo doesn't do it justice (and the weirdness dissipates)

I'm sure most of you know that the original Phantasmat is my number 1 all-time favorite HOPA game. I have searched high and low on my neverending quest to find a game that had a storyline as PHantastic as the first one, unfortunately, I haven't found one that even comes close! In the first game, instead of filling in the blanks of the plot with the usual Hidden Object Keyword Sentence PHinds, you would have creepy "visions" to find out what had happened in the past, which correlated to how you got in the situation in the first place. Although some of the Phantasmat games include a variation of the visions (especially in Curse of the Mist) they are missing a PHenomenal opportunity by not taking advantage of this feature. Another reason I have always loved this series is because I can always count on there to be Morphing Objects in each scene, however, Deja Vu doesn't include Morphs in every scene, just some of the scenes, so whats up with that???

The Hidden Object Scenes are typical Phantasmat HOS which are varied with Keywords in Sentence PHinds, Silhouetted Shape PHinds, Multiple Object PHinds, Matching Pair PHinds, and scenes to PHind all Morphing Objects. There is an alternate Match 3 game available, and if you want to earn all of the Achievements, you'll have to play at least 1 Match 3 game in place of the Hidden Object Scene. There's nothing that really stands out here, but I did enjoy the matching pair HOP with beetles and plants.

The Mini-games I will admit, aren't as creative as they usually are in most Phantasmat games and a little too simplistic at times, but that seems to be the norm for this dev lately. I love the puzzles that you tinker with mechanics, such as setting valve levels, connecting specific amounts of wires etc. and that's one of the reasons I love this series because they are usually featured in Phantasmat games. They aren't necessarily bad, but lately, this dev has been adding mini-games that don't require a whole lot of thinking and a ton of the fight scenario games that simply can't be lost. Below are brief descriptions of some of the games you'll encounter during the demo:

1-Use directional arrows to move the dot to the correct letters.
2-Swap & resize vertical puzzle sections to complete the picture.
3-Select 9 eyes to duplicate the pattern shown.
4-Select the correct paths using the dolls eye directions as clues.
5-Place stained glass shards correctly to reconstruct the picture.
6-Select the matching symbol shown before it disappears.
7-Enter the combination lock code shown on the clue.
8-Push tokens out of each column to match the clue shown.
9-Select the pulsating line when it turns green to defend yourself.
10-Select 2 key segments to match the pattern when combined.
11-Rotate portions of 3 uniquely shaped sections of the scene.
12-Stop the strength meter according to the size of branches.

The Collector's Edition version has 8 Wallpapers, 8 Character pictures, 8 Music Soundtracks, 11 Movie Video cutscenes, 15 Achievements to earn, 19 re-playable Hidden Object Scenes, 21 re-playable mini-games, 36 Hidden Brains in a jar, 16 Morphing Objects, 15 Butterfly/Moths in the Souvenir Room, 4 Main Chapters +Bonus Chapter and a built-in Strategy Guide, enjoy!

PHANTASMAT SERIES LIST
Title***Standard Edition Release Date***Average Rating

1-Phantasmat (February 8-2011) 4.6
2-Crucible Peak (January 4-2013) 4.0
3-The Endless Night (February 8-2015) 4.4
4-The Dread of Oakville (August 7-2015) 3.9
5-Behind The Mask (January 15-2016) 4.3
6-Town of Lost Hope (May 6-2016) 3.9
7-Reign of Shadows (November 4-2016) 3.7
8-Mournful Loche (May 12-2017) 3.9
9-Insidious Dreams (October 13-2017) 3.8
10-Curse of the Mist (January 21-2018) 3.7
11-Deja Vu (August 5-2018)

by: Eipix Entertainment Show less

I recommend this game!

+50points

64of 78voted this as helpful.

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Overall rating

4 / 5

21 of 28 found this review helpful

A game worth playing . . . for a change!

PostedAugust 5, 2018

Pilot1

fromTaos, NM

Key Contributor
This "Key Contributor" plays, rates, and reviews a lot of games. We think you'll trust their thoughts and opinions about games.
Key Contributor

Skill Level:Expert

Favorite Genre(s):Hidden Object

Current Favorite:

The Andersen Accounts: Chapter One Collector's Edition

(54)

Fun Factor

4 / 5

Visual/Sound Quality

5 / 5

Level of Challenge

4 / 5

Storyline

4 / 5

I played the standard edition demo and, while there were features found in many other games, there was enough that was different to intrigue me. Then I downloaded and played the collectors’ edition demo, and bought it.

If you’ve read some of my other reviews you know I’m not a big fan of CEs, so the fact that I bought this one should tell you something. Okay, I’ll admit that I used a freebie ...Show more

If you’ve read some of my other reviews you know I’m not a big fan of CEs, so the fact that I bought this one should tell you something. Okay, I’ll admit that I used a freebie coupon, but still, me getting a CE game is an unusual event.

The play-by-play has already been well described by another reviewer who always does a good job with that task, so I won’t reinvent that wheel.

The graphics, background sounds and music, are all up to the standard we have come to expect from Eipix, and definitely enhanced the gaming experience.

There are the usual collectibles and morphing objects in each scene and, for the most part, they are not too difficult to find.

There are no helpers or required gadgets which, apart from Elf, I do not care for at all.

This is a spooky game that, somewhat illogically, can be played using logical thinking to move from one scenario to the next. If you get stuck, the interactive map is an excellent and easy to use tool.

Although I do recommend this game, my usual caveat applies —play the demo, either one, and decide for yourself. Show less

I recommend this game!

+14points

21of 28voted this as helpful.

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Overall rating

4 / 5

10 of 13 found this review helpful

UNIQUE IN ITS OWN WAY

PostedAugust 7, 2018

cathybobcat

fromChicago, IL

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This "Key Contributor" plays, rates, and reviews a lot of games. We think you'll trust their thoughts and opinions about games.
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Skill Level:Intermediate

Favorite Genre(s):Hidden Object

Fun Factor

4 / 5

Visual/Sound Quality

4 / 5

Level of Challenge

3 / 5

Storyline

3 / 5

Did the demo for this SE and also the CE and decided to go for the CE. I don't really like to compare games because they all have differences in their own way. This is in a class by itself, adding much to the imagination if one is open to it. I thought the story was far out and convoluted, but that's part of what distinguishes it. It is the gameplay that matters to me more than the story and I liked the way this game flowed, as well as the challenge factor....not too easy....not too hard. For the most part, it held my interest until the end of the game, including the Bonus Chapter.

The graphics are atmospheric and typical of this series, adding to its eeriness and mystery. Even though dark and foggy, they were excellent. I became immersed in it.

There is a fair amount of a variety of HOS which I really enjoyed. Effort went into some of these both in artistry and challenge. I would have like more of them.

There are more puzzles than HOS, but it was in balance with the rest of the game. Some of them I liked and some I skipped. One thing I never like with many puzzles is when they are very time consuming (pain in the brain), which can make a game appear longer than it really is.

You can replay 19 HOS and 21 puzzles....and some of these, I feel are replay worthy. You collect 36 brains in a jar...humorous. There are 16 morphs to collect...and there was a morph hos in the main game that was different, not taking up too much time. I never care for waiting around forever for something to morph.

The bonus chapter was short, but enjoyable. It is not necessary to the main game, which I thought ended abruptly, but either version of this is fine and stands on its own. I liked having the extra gameplay and don't buy too many CE's. With the addition of the SG, as well as the additional extras, I am pleased to have the CE version and think it is worth it. Show less

+7points

10of 13voted this as helpful.

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Overall rating

2 / 5

14 of 16 found this review helpful

Disappointing once into the game...

PostedAugust 7, 2018

SparkleGlow100

fromFavorites: Midnight Calling-Arabella, Beyond the Invisible-Darkness Came, Medium Detective- Fright from the Past, Empress of the Deep- 1,2 & 3, Legacy-Mercy of the Gallows, Untold History-Descendant of the Sun, Dominic Crane 1 & 2.

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This "Key Contributor" plays, rates, and reviews a lot of games. We think you'll trust their thoughts and opinions about games.
Key Contributor

Skill Level:Expert

Favorite Genre(s):Adventure, Card & Board, Hidden Object, Mahjong, Match 3, Puzzle

Current Favorite:

Beyond the Invisible: Darkness Came

(27)

Fun Factor

2 / 5

Visual/Sound Quality

4 / 5

Level of Challenge

4 / 5

Storyline

1 / 5

Wonderful game to begin with. For probably a whole hour everything was 5* quality. What follows then, is a SERIOUS nose-dive in the STORY-LINE, which I would award a zero if possible. It became impossible to continue playing. Waste of money for me.

+12points

14of 16voted this as helpful.

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Overall rating

2 / 5

19 of 24 found this review helpful

Had Fun in the Trial

PostedAugust 6, 2018

Majestyx12

fromGameland.

Key Contributor
This "Key Contributor" plays, rates, and reviews a lot of games. We think you'll trust their thoughts and opinions about games.
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Skill Level:Intermediate

Favorite Genre(s):Adventure, Hidden Object

Current Favorite:

Whispered Secrets: Enfant Terrible Collector's Edition

(42)

Fun Factor

2 / 5

Visual/Sound Quality

3 / 5

Level of Challenge

5 / 5

Storyline

4 / 5

I thought the game went down hill after the trial. The hops are dark. I had my monitor on 100% brightness and it was still hard to see them. Some are very cluttered. I don't like limited sight hops. I didn't like this + that because I'm not good at it. I liked the creepy doll puzzles and the window hand puzzle but that was about it. The window puzzle didn't need to have it held up to the box, I ...Show more

My favorite Phantasmat game is Behind the Mask. Show less

I don't recommend this game.

+14points

19of 24voted this as helpful.

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Overall rating

2 / 5

8 of 9 found this review helpful

E for Effort?

PostedAugust 12, 2018

roaming

fromTexas

Key Contributor
This "Key Contributor" plays, rates, and reviews a lot of games. We think you'll trust their thoughts and opinions about games.
Key Contributor

Skill Level:Expert

Favorite Genre(s):Hidden Object

For about the first 10 or 15 minutes of the demo, I was fairly impressed. I was thinking wow, I really like this game. Unfortunately, things went downhill from there. When you have to repeatedly use hints to find hidden objects, something is wrong. I won't even mention the puzzles, and the story line devolved into something like Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde Meet the Swamp Monster.
The graphics were ...Show more

+7points

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Overall rating

2 / 5

6 of 8 found this review helpful

Too scary for me

PostedAugust 9, 2018

KarenG118

fromAlways awaiting tropical storms in Central Florida

Skill Level:Expert

Favorite Genre(s):Hidden Object, Large File, Strategy, Time Management

Current Favorite:

The Witch's Apprentice: A Magical Mishap

(15)

Fun Factor

1 / 5

Visual/Sound Quality

5 / 5

Level of Challenge

4 / 5

Storyline

1 / 5

I have loved every single Phantasmat until this one. This is WAAAAAAYYYYY too scary and evil and dark for me. Try it for yourself and see, but I can't possibly recommend it.

I don't recommend this game.

+4points

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